Game apparatus



April 27, 1943. R. o. WOOD GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 14, 1941 INVENTOR YRober 0.17mi

' 1 A-rrozzrvey Patented Apr. 27, 1943 one STATES PATENT OFFICE GAMEAPPARATUS Robert 0. Wood, Upper Montclair, N. J. Application Januar 14,1941, Serial No. 374,333

. Claims.

My invention relates to a game apparatus, and more particularly to agame apparatus comprising a number of separate game pieces or blocksadapted to be progressively assembled or placed together in accordancewith matching means, such as marks, values or symbols provided on thepieces, for example, in the manner of the well known game of dominos.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a new and highlyfascinating game apparatus.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement ofmatching means on the face of the game pieces, and whereby the piecesmay be assembled in a great variety of ways, so to furnish the playersof the game with both the elements of skill and of change in thescoring.

A further object is to provide marking means on the game pieces orblocks, whereby future plays may be foreseen to an appreciable degreeand pieces withheld for future scoring without effecting the progress ofthe game, that is, blocking the game.

A further object of my invention is to provide a set of square gamepieces or blocks, each of which having upon its face series oftraversing lines disposed at substantially right angles thereof andrelated, in both directions to a number of other pieces of the set, sothat when the pieces are all properly matched or assembled in accordancewith these matching lines, they will form a final large square figurehaving on. its face continuous lines crossing one anotherin the mannerofa plaid design.

Other objects and features of my invention will be hereinafter describedand set forth in the appended claims.

For a clearer understanding of my invention, attention is directed tothe drawing which accompam'es and forms a part of this specification,and in which:

Fig. 1 is a View of the game pieces 01' blocks as they may be matched inaccordance with one of a great many possible matching combinations; thelast played piece being shown slightly dislocated from its trueposition.

Fig. 1a is a projected end View of the lower left-hand corner block ofFig. 1.

Fig. 1b is a projected View of the lower righthand corner block of Fig.1.

Fig. 2 is a view showing a number of game pieces as they may beassembled or matched without effecting scoring.

Fig. 3 is a view showing a number of game pieces assembled and inposition to effect scoring.

With reference to Fig. 1, there will be seen a complete assembly of thegame pieces or blocks forming my game apparatus. This layout orplan ofplay exemplifies one of a great many different ways or possiblecombinations of assembling the pieces of my game. As seen, the blocks(indicated in common by the numeral I) are preferably made in the formof true squares, and, as such and because of their total number, theyare adapted when properly matched to form a figure of a predeterminedconfiguration, such as the square (A) of Fig. l. The matching meansonthe face of I each of the game pieces or blocks consists. of two series,or sets of indicia, particularly lines, each series crossing oneanother at substantially right angles and extending in their respectivedirection substantially from edge to edge of each block. The matchingline or lines of each series are grouped or so arranged as to form, inboth directions, identical sets of lines, which sets may be similarlycarried out or projected over a number or group of blocks forming a partof the total number of game pieces in my game apparatus, as well seen inthe drawing.

As will appear, when facing a given side of a block, the matching lines,above mentioned, appear on the face thereof as respective sets ofvertical and horizontal lines. Thus, for purpose of description of mygame apparatus and with respect to Fig. 1, reference to these matchingsets of lines will be had under the terms vertical and horizontal lines,respectively indicated by the letters V and H. It will be understoodthat the above terms vertical and horizontal, as applied to the sets oflines on each of the blocks, are interchangeable in accord to which ofone side a, player may view a given piece. Therefore, the sets ofvertical lines V on all of the blocks I, are purposely distinguished incharacteristics from the sets of horizontal lines H, so that inassembling the blocks all the lines V on the blocks will be matchedtogether and similarly the lines H togetherto form the squareconfiguration A, shown in Fig. 1. tained by spacing the lines of thesets V differently from the lines in the sets H, however, it is greatlypreferable to make the differentiation between said sets of lines as bymeans of colors. For example, the sets of lines V'may be colored red andthe sets of lines I-I may be colored blue. For purpose of illustration,the color differentiation of said sets of lines is indicated in thepresent drawing by means of broken lines (indicating red) for thevertical sets of lines on all The distinction could be ob;

of the blocks I, and by solid or full lines (indicating blue) for thehorizontal lines H, also on all of said blocks. Other means may, ofcourse, be used for diiferentiating the sets of lines.

The total amount of blocks forming my game apparatus is not intended tobe limited to a specified number, but as is obvious from what has beenpreviously stated, it is desirable that the total amount of blocks whenassembled correctly form the square A. Preferably, I choose a total of49 blocks, and thus form the layout or square A of Fig. 1 with sevenblocks on all four sides thereof. This number of pieces is arbitrary andin no way intended to limit my present invention. My new game mayhowever be played with somewhat less complication with 25 or 36 blocks;forming the square A respectively with 5 or 6 blocks at each four sidesthereof, and with somewhat more complications with 64 or 81 blocks;forming the square A respectively with 8 or 9 blocks at the sidesthereof as may be easily understood. It is to be observed from thedrawing that the matching patterns or sets of lines vary in the numberof lines.

which composes them, and that this variation is carried out, in both thevertical and horizontal sets, in like manner over a group of blocks,which group is equal to the number of pieces forming any one side of thesquare A. Thus, when 49 pieces are used as in the present illustration,the variation in the sets of matching lines are carried out or projectedfrom a given one to six others so as to form a group of 7 pieces. Iprefer to form the variations in direct accord with the number of groupsin a direction; either Vertical or horizontal. Starting with a set ofone line extending over a first group of seven pieces, I increase thenumber of lines by one for each group, and this is carried out insimilar fashion for both directional sets of lines as seen in the layoutof Fig. 1. Each game piece thus forms a member of two groups, onelongitudinally and one Vertically.

In accordance with the above arrangement, when the blocks are properlymatched or assembled, the similarly arranged sets of vertical lines Vbecome in fact continuous over the respective group of seven pieces.Similarly the like-arranged sets of horizontal lines H become allcontinuous over their respective group to form thereby a so-called plaiddesign over the face of the square A. This design is of course variablewith each different order of progress in the matching of the blocks, andparticularly as to the key-blockthe one first played-which may be anyone of the 49 blocks.

The illustrative blocks I, constituting my game apparatus, may be of anythickness and of any suitable material. These have been shown in theinstant embodiment as being true squares, that is, as beingequiangle-equilateral quadrangles, but it will be understood that theessence of my invention does not limitedly rest upon this preciseconformity of the blocks shown. On one face of the blocks there areprovided the sets of lines hereinabove described. These lines may beplaced thereon, by any appropriate process known, such as by printing.However, I prefer to make the blocks of a substantial thickness, asshown in Figs. 1a and 1b, and provide for a greater permanency of thelines by grooving the blocks as shown at G. Then, I fill the grooveswith suitable coloring material, so as to difierentiate the lines ofeach set in the manner above stated. My game apparatus may be madecomparatively cheaper by using simple cardboard material to form theblocks; printing on the face of such blocks the arrangement of lines inthe manner above described.

Manner of scoring The scoring is effected by the development of theelements of skill and chance, and rest upon the ability of any one ofthe players to place a block in a position which will complete a squarefrom a number of blocks during the progress of assemblingthe blocks. Asan example of this rule of scoring, there is seen in Fig. 2 a number ofassembled blocks which, as placed, do not effect scoring by reason ofthe fact that said blocks do not form a square figure. However, in Fig.3, the blocks played do form a square, not only in one instance, such asthe square defined by the group of nine blocks at the upper right handcorner of this partial layout, but also in a further instance, such asthe smaller square formed by the group of four blocks at the lowerleft-hand corner of the layout. Thus the player last playing the piecewhich forms any one of the above mentioned squares (upper right-handcorner and lower left-hand corner) has the privilege of effectingscoring. As a further example, if a player places a block in the upperleft-hand corner of the partial layout or group played in Fig. 2, thisplayer will effect scoring. The block must, of course, match the twoadjacent ones. Necessarily this block has two vertical lines V and threehorizontal lines H, and may, of course, be held in the hands of any oneof the players playing the game.

In order to develop a players skill and render the game moreinteresting, the scoring block may be counted, not only by the amount oflines-lines in both directions-upon its face, but by its linesmultiplied by the number of blocks forming one side of the square whichit completes. For instance, the player placing the block having a totalof five lines, and which completes the square pointed above in Fig. 2would obtain a score of 5X2 which would equal 10. This scoringarrangement is carried out for all squares so formed, whether suchsquare be of the smallest order, such as 2 blocks on each side or of '7blocks on each side; which latter is the largest and final obtainablesquare. Thus the last player always scores, and his score varies withthe total amount of lines on the last block played. Such last scorebeing (X lines) x7.

The manner of scoring as above described is not to be regarded as a setrule to limit the scope of my game apparatus, as the players of the gamemay decide the value of a piece played in any manner or form which restsupon the principle of the sets of lines or marking arrangement on theblocks as herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a game apparatus, including a set of game pieces adapted to befitted together to form a figure of a given conformity; the combinationof equal-number groups of game pieces bearing upon their faces crossingpatterns of stripes each extending to the edge of each said pieces; thestripes in one direction on the face of one piece of a group beingcarried out in similar number and space relationship over all of theother pieces of said group, and the stripes in the other directionvarying in number and space relationship for each of the pieces in saidgroup, but being extended for each said pieces over a corresponding onein each other groups, so that when all of the pieces are fittedtogether, by means of said patterns of stripes, there will be a plaiddesign appearing over said figure regardless of the order in which saidgame pieces are fitted to form said figure.

2. In a game apparatus, including a set of mark-bearing game piecesadapted to be matched in accordance with the markings thereon, thecombination of two right angularly disposed sets of lines on the face ofeach piece, each set having one or more lines traversing a piece fromone side to the other in both directions and groups and carrying twoseries of indicia each common to one group and different from theindicia of all other groups, the indicia of 'each series consists ofparallel lines and the lines of one series are disposed atlright anglesto the lines of the other series; the common indicia for each group hasa number of lines different from the other groups, so that the piecescan be laid in edge to edge contact to form a regular geometrical figurewith the indicia lines of the pieces of each group extending inalignment with each other across said figure.

4. A game comprising a plurality of groups of game pieces, each piecebeing a member of two groups and carrying two series of indicia eachcommon to one group and different from the indicia of all other groups,each group of said game includes the same number of pieces.

ROBERT O. WOOD.

